The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-05-30
7 II e
THE CABLE PROJECT.

Isolation is the dry rot of nations. 1t
discourages private enterprise and is
bar to social and political evolution.
Revolutions there may bein countries so
situated, but the only outcome Is to
change the men on top. That which is
established remains, so far as the people
are concerned. Social order is not in
verted, nor are political lines diverted
from the well-worn groove of immemoriaI
usage. The axiom, ''There is nothing
new under the sum-" applies to just
such conditions. But when the charm
of isolation is broken, with the new
thoughts and impulses introduced by
contact with the. outer world come
changes ofsmethod, ofpolicy, and of am
bition, which speedily transform the
social fabric and revolutionize public in
stitutions.
We need not look outside these
Islands for an apt illustration of this;
but the more conspicuous examples In
modern times are the Japanese Empire
and the Kingdom of Corea. These,
countries are now passing at high pres
sure through the most crucial stage of
their existence, undergoing at one and
the same time a process of political and
social decomposition and growth-the
decay and death of the old system and
the grating, budding and expansion of
the new. This Kingdom has nearly
emerged from this transition stage, but
it is not quite emancipated from the thral
dom OF dark and homogeneous past. 1t
has been carried rapidly forward no
doubt, but something yet remains to be
done to thoroughly modernize its
methods. In a word, it yet lacks the
electric touch of the outer world Peri
odical intercourse it has had, and just in
the ratio of its frequency is its beneficial
influence to be measured The revolu-
ton that began over century ago with
the advent of Captain Cook has passed
through several stages, each one marking
a distinct period of progression, and
being at the same time regulated by, or
coincident with, the establishment of
more frequent and regular intercourse
with foreign countries.
1t is to be regretted therefore that the
cable project has fallen into allegiance.
1t is the one thing needed to bring this
country into full accord with the pro-
gressive civilization of the age. The
world is girdled with the electric wire,
and through its use the relations of the
nations to each other have radically
changed. Commercial activity and in
dustrial enterprise have been enor-
mously stimulated by it, and those coun-
tries that are out of the circle of uni
versal intelligence, are practically as far
behind the impulses andrequirements of
modern times as these Islands were
when the missionaries first set foot on
their soil.
It is our opinion that cable connect
ing Honolulu with the American system
OF telegraphs, no matter where the point
of contact might be, would do more to
remove the friction that Is now COM
planned of in various directions than
anything else. Universal opinion is the
moral lever which the electric cable has
brought to bear upon governments
and peoples. The political revolution
now in. full blast in the British Isles,
under constitutional forms, would have
been impossible if it bad not been for
the moral support the party of freedom
received from the public conscience of |
Christian nations and peoples and
without the Geographic cable, it would !
have been impossible to have had the |
consensus of the worlds judgment upon
every point at issue in the contest re-
perial Government through the news
paper press. A cable to these Islands |
would bring about needed reforms by a
similar process of publicity and discus
sion. It would likewise stimulate in
dustrial enterprise and production. Just
how it is to be had it is impossible for us
to say. As commercial enterprise it |
would probably not pay interest on the
money invested, but as part of a general
cable system, aided by Government
bounty, it would no doubt be paying
enterprise. Hawaii is not ina position
10 inaugurate such an enterprise on its
OWN account, and must therefore depend
n great measure upon the public spirit
# other Governments, taking full adj
rantage of its geographical position,
by liberal terms of eo-opera-
ion. :